Action for player-pianos and the like.



A. P. GrUS'l'AESOEL ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOSAND THB LIKE.

APPLIOATOH :FILED 55.17.10, 1912.

Patented Jane 30, 1914.

i UNITED STATES PATENT GFFCE.

ADOLPI-I I. GUSTAFSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. T M. SCHULZ CO., OF

` CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACTION FOR PLAYER-PLANOS AND THE LIKE.

`T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADOLPH P. Gnsmrson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Actions for Player- Pianos and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in actions for player' pianos and the like, and has as its principal object the provision of a more efficient and economical arrangement than thatshown in my copending application, Serial No. 597 ,069, for mechanical musical instruments, filed December 13,1910.

A further object of my invention resides in the particular arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view'of a portion of an action having my improved apparatus shown with the top board removed, -parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2---2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the top board in plcf. i

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is a block which together with the cpver plate 2 incloses a wind chest 8. It will be seen from inspection of the drawings that the block 1 is integral, there being only two members necessary in order to inclose the wind chest 3. Moreover, it will be apparent that no part of the ports or passages in the member 1 will need to be plugged after drilling; Jirwind-way 4: connects the chest 3 with the suction apparatus. As appears in AFig. 2, in' particular, there are at least two wind chests, one above the other, with their accompanying apparatus. Attached to the under side of the block 1 are action pneuich as 5. in Fig. 2 the lowerpneus ,--xhmvn collapsed asin causing a note ma he sounded while the upper pneumatic is shown extended in its normal or quiescent position Leading from the pneumatics 5 are p ges (i which connect with valve chest 7. aiding :from the lower part of the n.,lr-a clicst; 7 are ports 8 which connect With Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled May 10, 1912.

Patented J un e 30, 191 Serial No. 696,307.

grooves or passages 9 in the lower face of the block 1; These grooves 9 connect with the atmosphere. Covering the upper part of the valve chest 7 is a metal plate 10 provided with a port 11, which connects with the interior of the wind chest 3. l/Vithin the chest 7 is mounted a valve 12 which is adapted to close either of the ports 8 or 11 in turn. The valves 12 are formed of wood having coverings of leather on their opposite faces, and are supported by hooks 13. These hooks eX- tend through openings in the upper leather cover of the valves, as clearly illustrated in the drawings, so that the valves may swing in any direction necessary in order to register properly with the surface of the valve ports. The hooks which support the faces are formed on the ends of wire parts or rods 14 which are attached to the movable members 15 of the small pneumatics mounted in the interior of the chest 3. i'iivable members 15 are drilled and provided with metal pieces 16 having bleed holes therein form-A ing 'communication between the interior ot' the small pneumatics and the wind chest 3. The bottoms of the small interior pneumatics are drilled to connect with tracker tubes such as 17. .As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the blocks l are chiseled to form shoulders as at 18 against which the small interior pneumatics abut, and leaving a groove or recess 19 within which they are mounted. Said groove or recess is inclined downwardly away from the shoulder. This saves vertical space, since it gives the 'weighted end of the pneumatic room to expand and at the same time allows the chest to be made thin in the vertical direction. The members 15 of the small interior pneumatics are slotted to receive weights which normally hold thenr depressed as shown in the upper pneumatic in Fig. 2.

In the operation of my device the small interior pneumatics are normally exhausted through the pin hole in the member 1G, so that the weights 2O hold them in the position shown in the upper pneumatic of Fig. 2.

. Consequently the valve 12 is held against its upper seat and air may enter the striking pneumatics through the groove 9 and the communicating passages. When, however, air is admitteddnto the small interior pneumatic through one'of the tubes 1.7 it is inflated, as shown in the lower one of the de.

vices in F ig. 2, thus cutting oft communication between the valve chest 7 and the at` the pivot of the pneumatic being sufficient,-

and also avoids having to bend these valve rods as in my former application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic instrument in combination, a pneumatic having fixed and movable sides pivoted together along one end, a substantially horizontal block on which said fixed member is supported, said block having a valve chest therein, an apertured plate partially closing the upper face of .said chest, a v alve in said chest below said plate,

and a rod attached to said movable member extending through the aperture in said plate provided with an open hook at one edge for engaging the upperpart of said valve.

2. The combination ot' apneumatic` having a hinged swinging leafI provided with an arm extending longitudinally from the hinged end ot' said swinging leaf and carrying a valvethe weight of' which is supported by said arm, said swinging leaf having its swinging end lprovided with a weight to counterbalance said valve.

3."In a device of the class described, a wind chest having a recess therein and a shoulder at the edge of said recess, primary 4pneumatic-s mounted in said recess abutting against said shoulder, said primary pneumatics having weighted movable mem bers,.a rod attached directly to one of said movable members andhaving a hooked end, and a 'valve suspended from said end.

4. In a device ot' the class described in combination, a block ilorinviiig one side of a wind-chest, said block having au elongated recess or groove and having a shoulder at the edge of said recess, and a pneumatic provided with fixed and movable members, said fixed member having one end abutting against said shoulder.

5. In a device of the class described in combination, a block 'lorining one side of a wind-chest, said block having au elongated.

against said shoulder, and said fixed mcinl ber having a thickness substantially equal to the height of said shoulder and said movable member being pivoted to the fixed membei' at the end adjacent said shoulder.

6. In a pneumatic instrument in combination, a wind-chest comprising blocks forming opposite sides of the chest, onefof said blocks having a groove or elongated recess therein inclosed on one side by a shoulder, y

the fioor of said recess sloping atan obtuse angle to said shoulder, and a pneumatic c0mprising fixed and movable members, said xed member being attached to the sloping floor of said recess and abutting against said shoulder.

7. In a device of the class described, a valve actuating pneumatic comprising a leaf pivoted at one end, said leaf being mounted in a substantially horizontal position, an operating weight carried by said leaf at the end opposite its pivot, and a hooked rod carried by and extending longitudinally of and from said'lea.

.8. In a device of the class described, a valve actuating pneumatic comprising a leaf pivoted at one end, said leaf being mounted in a substantially horizontal position, an operating weight carried by said leaf at the end opposite its pivot, a rod having one end in the form of an open hook carried by and 'extending longitudinally of and from Said. leaf, and a valve hung directly on the hooked end of said rod.

9. In aV device of the class described in combination, a valve actuating pneumatic having a pivoted movable member, a' rod att-ached directly to said movablel member and having a h ookedend, said member be ing weighted at the Aend removed from said rod, and a valve pivotally mounted directly on the hooked end of said rod.

10. The combination of a structure forming a wind chest, a pneumatic having a hinged swinging leaf arranged within said wind chest, said swinging leaf having a rod or arm extending longitudinally from its hinged end, a-valvel supported at the other end of said arm or rod, ports above and below said valve, a duct running to the space between said ports, a duct or passage communicating with' the interior of sald pneumatic, and a power pneumatic having a portI communicating with the duct or passage eX-" tending from the space between said porri.I said power pneumatic being secured toftfe 'under side of said wind chest structurey 11. The combination of a structure fnrming a wind chest, a primary pneumatic arranged within said wind chest and hai/ing a hinged swinging leaf, from the iiigicd end mof which extends a' rod or arm car ying a valve, a metallic member forming a port aiularranged above said valve, a poit on the side or" said valve opposite said member and an air recess formed in said .structure aiid communicating wlth said lest mentioned porge duct extending romthe Valve. space In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe between said last mentioned `rorts, ay pneumy name this 18th day of April A.. D., 1912.

matic secured to said Wind @lest structure l j and connnunieating with the duct or passage' ADOLPH P' GUSTAFSGN 5 extending from said valve space, and a Witnesses:

tracker board passage communicating with PETER C'. PETERSON,

the interior of said primary pneumatic. e J. C. HANSEN. 

